Magnolia Espresso

2231 32nd Avenue West
March 2, 1996

I
The plaque near this bench reads
Donated by the Family and Friends
of Deborah Louise Case 1993

I sit on the bench along the Magnolia Scenic Bike Route
overlooking Elliott Bay. A beautiful view.

Deborah Louise Case probably loved Seattle on a sunny day.
As she watched the big boats slice through the water
she probably responded the way I do
when I hear a familiar song from a Broadway play.

Her family and friends must have loved her.
They gave me the gift to think highly of a stranger.

II
Different tempo coming.

III
This pen scratches my paper.
This latte spills on my coat.
Oh no, I say as I quickly suck the last drop
then wonder what passes behind my back.

Bikes zoom by, their wheels zizzzz;
car wheels make rubber pressure noises;
birds chirp (of course);
planes pass overhead, often;
the Sound ripped by speed boats
that sound like mulching mowers;
a panting dog walking
it's leash lightly slapping against itself;
two friends full of reflection and questions
as if one says You're making a big deal of nothing;
a man walking heavy with jingling keys;
a motorcycle, but not a Harley;
two more friends, each with a stroller that make
a crinkled noise like crumpled plastic;

three cars pass, one after another,
and I feel stimulation overload;

I can't hear lovers holding hands, they whisper;
an ocean liner's low, long, horn as if it's
the mist that covers Bremerton;
sun reflecting on the water flashes like fire crackers
and would sound like crystals falling.

These Seattle sounds should be recorded and sold,
The Sounds of Familiarity
The Sounds of Your Neighborhood
The Sounds When You Are Not Alone